The Best Hair Oils
It may seem an odd concept to apply oil to freshly washed hair, but used in the right way, hair oils give a luxe, glossy, salon-worthy finish and also repair, hydrate and improve hair quality over time. Warm a tiny drop (a little goes a long way) between your palms and apply to mid-lengths and ends of damp hair before styling. If you’re blow-drying, it will speed drying time and if you leave to air-dry (nursery run calling?), it will prevent frizzing and keep hair defined. For a serious SOS hydration boost, apply all over, leave on for as long as you can, then thoroughly shampoo out.
Lisa Durant
Kerastase Elixir Ultime Beautifying Oil (£34.50, lookfantastic.com)
Rich in argan and camellia oil and totally silicone-free (it absorbs and treats the hair, rather than just coating with a superficial film), this vanilla-scented oil gives unbeatable glossiness to hair. Apply before cleansing as an intensive treatment, or before styling.
Dr Hauschka Neem Hair Oil (£24, drhauschka.co.uk)
If hair is desperately in need of TLC, this repairs, smooths and softens like nothing else. Apply a generous amount to dry hair from roots to tips, massage into scalp, leave for 20-30 minutes (or overnight for an intensive treat) and shampoo out. Brilliant for encouraging hair growth after pregnancy, as scalp massage boosts circulation and helps strengthen and improve the quality of hair. Or it can also be used on the ends of damp or dry hair to smooth frizz or define curls.
Percy & Reed Totally Intensive Treatment Oil+ (£24, percyandreed.com)
This brilliant multi-tasking oil contains moisture-restoring camellia seed oil, strength and elasticity-boosting macadamia seed oil and vitamin-rich carrot seed oil to regenerate. Apply before styling or if your scalp is itchy, dry or flaky, massage in, then leave for two minutes before shampooing out.
MoroccanOil Oil Treatment (from £13.45, feelunique.com)
When Moroccan Oil first launched, it changed the way consumers viewed hair oils. Surely it would make hair greasy? But applied to damp hair, this argan oil-enriched treatment sinks straight in, leaving hair easier to brush, smoothes and repairs after every use. The original formula is great for most hair types, but if you have ultra fine or very light-coloured hair, there’s a ‘Light’ version.
L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil (£16.40, lookfantastic.com)
Part of the extensive ‘Mythic Oil’ oil-enriched haircare line (the shimmer-shot shampoo is particularly great), this light oil leaves hair soft and shiny. If your hair is unruly, coarse or super-parched, try the ‘Rich Oil’ formula instead.
Mark Hill MiracOILicious Moroccan Argan Oil (£9.99, boots.com)
One pump leaves hair silky and super-soft, but its lightweight formula never leaves hair greasy. It also smells heavenly.
Rodin Olio Russo Luxury Hair Oil (£60, liberty.co.uk)
Seriously luxe, smells utterly addictive and leaves hair silky soft, manageable. The blend of eight essential oils (apricot, calendula, sweet almond, sunflower oils, neroli, rosemary and juniper) revive and repair hair right to the core.
Tresemme Liquid Gold Perfecting Hair Treatment (£6.99, boots.com)
A great bargain beauty buy, this argan oil-enriched formula smooths on easily, leaves hair swishy-soft and we particularly like the fresh scent.
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue Nourishing Oil-in-Cream (£32, lookfantastic.com)
Because the camellia oil is encased in a cream formula, it’s easy to apply and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. Rake through damp hair to control frizz, define curls or add polish to your hair.
L’Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil Mist For Fine Hair (£9.99, superdrug.com)
If you prefer a spray-on formula (less mess, fast to apply and lighter application), this fine mist is a winner. It doesn’t weigh hair down and can easily be used on dry hair too to add shine and smooth ends, without risk of an oil slick.
Wella Luxe Oil Reconstructive Elixir (£25, wella.com)
If you wake up with a frizz issue, but no time to blow-dry, straighten or re-style, take a couple of pumps of Wella SP Luxe Oil to instantly smooth ends and re-condition dry ends. Slightly more oily than most hair oils, it’s perfect for curly, coarse or very dry ends, use sparingly, then add more if you need to.
Redken Diamond Oil Shatterproof Shine (£31.99, lookfantastic.com)
Great for normal to fine hair, this jojoba, olive coconut and sunflower seed oil-rich formula leaves hair sleek, never greasy and calms static.
